Buckley the man to beat

ANDREW BUCKLEY . . . chasing a third Chronicle title.

BOWLS: ANDREW Buckley is the 2-1 favourite to win Saturday’s Oldham Evening Chronicle Handicap and complete a hat-trick of titles in the town’s most prestigious bowls tournament.

The winner in 1998 and 2002, Buckley opens against Barbara Cooper (12-1).

Second favourite is Buckley’s Nimble Nook team-mate Darren Griffiths who, surprisingly, has yet to win the Chronicle event.

Griffiths (5-2) starts against Wilf McDermott (6-1), a player who will enjoy home advantage.

The other quarter-finals see Peter Fielding (6-1) take on John Rudkin (8-1) and Dave O’Brien (6-1) play Brian Raynor (8-1).

Play gets under way at North Chadderton Social and Bowling Club at 5.30pm.

GARY Ellis’s amazing season just gets better and better.

The Nimble Nook and Tonge star added yet another major title to his impressive collection when winning the John Smith’s Classic at Cleckheaton.

And he overcame a top-class field to clinch the top prize of £1,200 and secure a place in the Oceanico Masters in Portugal and Champion of Champions’ event in Blackpool.

Ellis defeated Callum Wraight 21-10 in the quarter-finals and followed up with a 21-16 victory over Tonge team-mate Simon Coupe in the semis before securing a 21-15 verdict against Nick Hughes in the final.

Ellis was unable to add the Wigan Subscriptions BC invitation title to his list of wins, however.

He was beaten 31-14 in the semi-finals by Graeme Wilson, the former Oldhamer who now lives in Audenshaw. Wilson beat Poynton’s Tommy Johnstone 31-19 in the final.

ANDREW Cairns won the top prize of £500 in the Royle Classic at Castleton, beating defending champion Gareth Gwilliam 31-28 in a superb final.

Earlier, Cairns defeated Ryan Goodman 31-26, while Gwilliam saw off John Wade 31-18 in a repeat of the previous year’s final.